


Time to Clear the Air

by Tonks32



Series: Gideon Trevelyan adventures [6]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-10 00:57:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15280077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tonks32/pseuds/Tonks32
Summary: Cassandra was having a hard time concentrating on well… Everything! Training. Cleaning armor. Doing anything and everything was spent with her mind being cluttered by one thing. Trevelyan. The Inquisitor. The Herald of Andraste. Her leader. The damn man was always on her mind and nothing she did could shake him out.





	Time to Clear the Air

   Cassandra was having a hard time concentrating on well… Everything! Training. Cleaning armor. Doing anything and everything was spent with her mind being cluttered by one thing. Trevelyan. The Inquisitor. The Herald of Andraste. Her leader. The damn man was always on her mind and nothing she did could shake him out. And if she was being honest, a part of her didn’t want to. It was kind of nice to have a man’s attention. She just wished that the attention was from a different man because with Gideon nothing could happen. Their stolen conversations and flirting had to stop. Especially the touching. The touching was something that had increased since settling in Skyhold. Just small touches of hands when working in the war room with the other advisers. During their travels, the inquisitor would hand her a field report or potion and every time his fingers would linger. Just for a breath of a moment, but long enough to make her pulse jump. Whenever they walked in Skyhold or on their way to their next mission, he would always stand close enough so their hands barely touched. And when they spared, it seemed the inquisitor’s hands were everywhere.

   Cassandra stopped in mid-blow before she could take off the dummy’s head as a thought struck her. Was this all in her head? That seemed to be possible. There was no way a man as handsome as Gideon Trevelyan could fancy her, right?

   “Are you all right Lady Cassandra?”

   The sudden sound of Gideon’s voice had her whirling around nearly taking the man’s head off.

   “Whoa.” Gideon ducked and rolled, settling on his feet with the grace of a dancer. “Maker Cass what have I done to piss you off now?”

   “Nothing.” Growling, the seeker drover her sword into the earth. She couldn’t look at him. His eyes, his perfect grey eyes, were her greatest weakness. Every time he talked to her, those wonderful eyes would lock onto her and only her. One look and she was weak in the knees and that made her annoyed with herself. This couldn’t go on any longer. “I would like a moment to talk to you.”

   Gideon’s brow creased, “We are talking.”

   “Alone.” Cassandra couldn’t stop wringing her hands together. Andraste help her, she was far too old to be flustered like a chantry sister. “I mean a bit more privately.”

   “Sure.” Why was he so nervous all the sudden? He tried to predict the conversation as he followed her up the stairs to the battlement. He was pretty damn sure he hadn’t done anything to piss her off…. Well recently anyways. In fact, Gideon thought things were going great between them. Only the look on her face made him question every interaction he had with the seeker since their last scuffle. “Is everything all right Cassandra?”

   “Yes.” Hopefully. Maker things were so much simpler when they were bickering and she would threaten to throw him back in jail. “It’s just… The flirting with me, I’ve noticed it. Unless I’ve imagined it which-.”

   The inquisitor’s heart leaped straight into his throat, “No.” He quickly cut her off but stopped himself before reaching out to still her jittery hands. His voice hitched a little, “no you haven’t imagined it.”

   Shock wasn’t even close to describing the look on her face. Was he toying with her? “You can’t…” He took a step forward and Cassandra tried to counter it only to find herself pressed back against the parapets. Her stomach knotted, “you can’t.”

   “Can’t what?” Gideon softly asked.

   “Court me if that is your intention.”

    For some reason her dead serious attitude had him fight the urge to smile. After so many months of trying, she was now finally noticing that his interest in her was something more than comrades in arms. “ I can’t?”

   Cassandra had to skirt around him before she was totally trapped, “That’s right.” She tried to sound more confident, “You can’t.”

   “Are you asking me to stop?” Gideon wondered.

   “Yes.”

   Gideon was stunned when the seeker stalked off without another world. Maker’s breath. He rubbed the back of his neck struggling to process everything that just happened. She just brushed him off. He was so sure that there was something there. In those smiles and laughs, she reserved just for him. Then there was that moment in the war room just a few weeks ago and that almost kiss at camp during their most recent travels. He was so sure that she wanted-.

   “No that’s not what I want.” Cassandra’s feet lead her back to the confused inquisitor. She was mad. They shouldn’t be having this conversation. She should have just kept walking without looking back. That’s what did her in. One look and she gave into her heart’s demand to go back, to stop playing it safe and take a chance. If anything, everything would be out in the open and they could just move on like none of this happened. “I want a man who sweeps me off my feet and gives me flowers and reads me poetry by candlelight. I want the ideal. But you are the Herald of Andraste, you cannot be this man.”

   Gideon knew that being with Cassandra wouldn’t be easy. He knew that he would have to fight until the last brick of the wall around her heart was gone. “I didn’t expect you to feel that way.”

   Cassandra sighed, “I know what you see. I’m a warrior, I’m blunt and difficult and self-righteous. But my heart.” The seeker’s voice wavered. For the first time, she was bearing herself, holding nothing back. “Lies beneath all that. It yearns for the things I can’t have. It yearns for you. If you cannot see that then I beg you to stop. Save me the heartache.”

   Gideon brushed his knuckles over her cheek, “I do see that Cassandra.” He softly asked gazing into her dark eyes. She looked terrified that at any moment he was going to shatter her heart into a million pieces. This woman could stare down a bloody dragon without blinking, but matters of the heart were another story. “I can be that man, Cassandra.”

    “The world hinges on our actions.” Her defense mechanism was kicking in. Maker, she was such a coward. “we face death at every turn.”

   “That doesn’t change how I feel.” He shifted to block her exit, carefully taking her face in his calloused hand. “Cassandra.”

   She grasped his wrist, shaking her head, “You can’t.” Cassandra closed her eyes unable to meet his penetrating gaze. “You cannot feel this way.”

   “Please don’t shut me out.” He leaned his brow against hers, “I promise I won’t hurt you. Just give me the chance to prove it.”

    “Gideon please.” Her resolve was wavering. Maybe, just maybe this could work.

   “Inquisitor are you up there?” Cullen’s voice coming from the stairs to the battlement gave the seeker the perfect opportunity to slip out of Gideon’s grasp.

   The inquisitor resisted the urge to kick the stone wall. He knew things with Cassandra would never be simple, he just didn’t know it would be so frustrating. Any other man would just drop it, get nice and drunk, and move on. That wasn’t a choice for him. She was already in his head, being the first thing on his mind when he awoke and the last thing before sleep. Far too late. “Yes, Cullen.”

   The commander gave him a questioning look. “am I interrupting something?”

   “Not anymore.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

   Gideon had a plan. Or half of one anyway. He was still working on making it a full one. He was going to court Cassandra Pentaghast. He just didn’t know how. It had to be perfect because Cassandra deserved no less. Now if he could only find the blasted woman. In the four days since their conversation upon the battlement, the seeker had been most elusive. In desperation, Gideon called a meeting in the war room so she would have to talk to him. She was notably absent drawing concern from Leliana stating it was not like her to neglect her duties. Skyhold was only so big yet it seemed Cassandra had found a nook that Gideon couldn’t’ find. And there was no way he could ask around for her. That would make people ask questions and start spreading gossip. There was already enough of that going around.

   So the only option that Gideon had was to wait her out. Eventually, Cassandra would have to show herself. His place for waiting tonight was the tavern. The building was packed and filled with so many different sounds that he couldn’t even hear himself think. Squeezing inside, Gideon swept his gaze across the room until he found a few familiar faces at the edge of the bar.

   “Inquisitor!” Bull’s booming voice broke through the cloud of noise like thunder. “Come drink.”

   “Just not what he’s drinking,” Dorian advised motioning to the unconscious elf at his feet. “Sera barley got through half a glass.”

   Bull scuffed, “you just can’t hold your drink, ‘vent.”

   Gideon managed to find a spot just big enough for him to stand between Dorian and Varric while his eyes were still scanning the sea of faces. Where in the fade was she? “I think I might take Dorian’s advice on this one.”

   “Pussy!” Bull took a long gulp from his oversized, nearly falling off his stool.

   The inquisitor ordered a drink. “So.” He leaned against the bar trying to sound as casual as possible. “Couldn’t convince anyone else to come?”

   “Almost got Curly,” Varric proudly informed. “I wonder if that man ever sleeps?”

    Gideon bit his tongue. He would not ask about Cassandra.

   “Hello, Herald.”

   The sudden appearance of Cole had Gideon jolting. “Maker, Cole!”

   The blonde headed boy tilted his head. “Varric has suggested I wear a bell.”

   “It would work in your favor kid,” Varric insisted.

   “Will you play?” Cole appeared on the other side of the inquisitor holding the lute Gideon kept in his quarters. “I like it when you play.”

  Gideon raised a scarred brow. “You listen to me play?”

   A small smile crossed the spirit’s face. “I sit below as you play. It’s comforting. Helps my thoughts slow.”

   Dorian’s attention was peaked, “You play, Inquisitor? And we are just finding out?”

   “And sings,” Cole added happ to be contributing to the conversation.

   “Oh well, now you just have to.” Dorian took the lute and put it in Gideon’s hands. “I think we can all use a good night of singing and dancing.

   Gideon didn’t see that he really had a choice. “Move.” He shooed Dorian off the bar stool.

   “She likes it when you play too.” Cole blurted out. “Helps her forget. Helps her grieve.”

   “Her?” Varric wondered.

   “Cole,” Gideon warned. He didn’t need Varric or anyone else to start prodding into just who ‘her’ was.

   Cole didn’t head the inquisitor’s warning, “She hears the song and remembers. Remembers the comfort. The heat. It helps. Your voice soothes.”

   “All right.” Gideon yanked Cole to sit down next to him. He did his best to ignore his friends and their curious glances. “You pick the song, Cole. Something upbeat.”

   Soon the tavern was filled to the brim with music and laughter. As Gideon played others clapped, stomped, and sang alone while people danced. Everyone was so carefree. Gideon soaked up the sight so he could recall on this joyous moment when things got rough. For a moment, they could forget about the hole in the sky and the wolves knocking on their door. They were united. It didn’t matter that they all came from different backgrounds and beliefs; they all stood united as one for the inquisition. For him. The realization had him fumbling on the chords, thankfully since half of the room was lost in the music. He knew that a lot of people had faith in him and were willing to do anything to help him stop Corypheus. This was just the first time Gideon had actually seen that faith first handed.

   “Another,” Cole happily demanded from his perch at Gideon’s feet. “Another!”

   Gideon happily obliged and started another tune. His choice seemed to please everyone. Well, all but one. Through the loud cheer, he could hear the disgusted groan. It took a moment to find her in the thick crowd. Cassandra was standing just inside the door with Leliana looking highly annoyed he began to sing the story of the Hero of Orlais. He grinned. If looks could kill. She would have left if their resident spymaster didn’t take her by the arm and drag her across the crowded room.

   “Well, Inquisitor.” Leliana beamed at the warrior. “you play beautifully.”

   Gideon looked up, his hands never stopping. “Are you telling me that there is something about me you didn’t know?”

   “I do like to be surprised now and again.”

  Gideon had never seen Leliana look so happy, so carefree since their fateful meeting at Haven. She further surprised him by letting Dorian sweep her up into a dance. He smiled up at Cassandra’s scowling face, “Come join the fun, Seeker.”

    Cassandra had no other choice than to sit on the stool next to Gideon. “You told me you didn’t know this one.”

   “I learned.” He lied. Everyone all over Thedas has heard the tale of the Hero of Orlais. He had just wanted to hear her tell the story. “Come Cassandra, join in.”

   “I do not sing.”

   “She is pleased.” Cole blurted out in his oh so charming way making the seeker blush. “She tries to hide it.”

   Gideon could see the corner of the seeker’s mouth twitching as she was fighting to keep her smile contained. Surrounded by so many, he was sure the seeker wanted to remain stoic as she usually was. Gideon had witnessed, on those rare occasions, just how beautiful the woman was when she let her guard down. “Have some fun.” He softly insisted with a smile of his own, “It won’t kill you, I promise.”

   “Yes, Seeker. Come dance.” Bull didn’t leave her much room to decline. The Qunari picked up Cassandra and carried her into the dancing crows.

   “Bull this is ridiculous.” Cassandra hissed refusing to move. Dancing wasn’t something she had much practice at along with a lot of other things a lady of her birth should.

   “Just follow.” Iron Bull suggested carefully taking the woman by the waist knowing that Cassandra was more than capable to break a horn or two.

   She was just about to do so or worse when she glanced in Gideon’s direction. The joy he had on his face when she first walked in was gone. Replaced by a look she had never really seen before, especially in conjunction with her. His grey eyes were narrowed and darkened with jealousy. The Herald of Andraste, leader of the Inquisition was jealous that she allowed Bull to touch her, even though it was harmless. It might make her a horrible person, but Maker help her she enjoyed it. “All right Bull.” She smiled up at the Qunari, “One dance.”

   “She smiles. Warm feelings in her chest.” Cole looked up at the inquisitor, the corner of his mouth tilted upward. “Doesn’t feel his hands. Imagines yours. Tries to hide it, but she likes your touch.”

   “You can hear her through all this?” Gideon wondered.

   “She’s thinking really loudly.” Cole informed and his smile faltered for a moment. “So are you. Confusion. Frustrated. Want. Need. All for her. I don’t understand.”

   “Believe me, kid, I don’t either.”

   The dancing, singing, and drinking lasted well into the early hours of the morning. The one dance Cassandra told herself she would indulge in turned into a dozen. It was surprising how easily she picked up on it. Dancing was a lot like fighting it was all about the footwork. And the partner. The one she really wanted hadn’t approached her. Cassandra still didn’t know what to think of that. Gideon played song after song watching her with such an intense gaze. Even when others took over to play, he didn’t dance. With her or anyone.

   Tired and happy, Cassandra started across the courtyard to her sleeping quarters. She tried to remember the last time she let herself go and have some fun. Has she ever done that? Oh, how her life has changed in less than a year.

   “If I didn’t know any better.” Gideon was waiting for her in the dimly lit hall leading to her room. “I would think you were avoiding me.”

   Cassandra stopped to make sure there was plenty of space between them. “I have done no such thing.”

   Maker’s breath she looked so beautiful with flushed cheeks and wild hair. “I beg to differ.”

   “You’re right.” Cassandra begrudgingly admitted. There was no way he was going to leave until they talked. “I needed time to think about things?”

   Gideon leaned against the wall, “what kind of things?”

   “About our conversation on the battlement.” Nervous, she started to wring her hands together. How was it this man made her feel so vulnerable and unsure of herself. “Y-you don’t actually intend to go through with courting me, do you?”

   He smiled. “I said I would and I will.”

   Oh, maker, he was dead serious. Her stomach started to knot. “I believe you.”

   “Then why have you been avoiding me?”

   “I’m afraid.” There that wasn’t that hard to admit, was it? Why did he have to be standing in front of the damn door? All she wanted to do was lock herself inside to separate herself from these conflicting emotions.

   “Of what?”

   “That you’re doing this because you think I challenged you.” Cassandra couldn’t bring herself to look at him, “by saying you could not.”

   He closed the gap between them, just enough so their bodies brushed. This woman was maddening and stubborn causing him more than his fair share of sleepless nights. The lesson his father did actually teach him was if anything was worth having was worth fighting for. And he wanted to capture Cassandra’s heart no matter how long it took. “Is it so unbelievable that I want to?”

   She could feel his warm breath on her check, clouding her thoughts. “You have so much else to occupy your energies.”

    “You let me worry about my energy.” Gently, he cupped the side of her face, waited until she finally lifted her gaze to his. “It is simple. I care for you, Cassandra. Why won’t you believe me?”

   Where did she even begin to start? “I’m protecting myself.”

   “I would never hurt you.”

   “I know you wouldn’t, but we are living in a dangerous time, Gideon. If I lose you…”

   “Something’s are worth the risk.” Gideon insisted, “This is worth the risk. I will happily spend the rest of time to make you believe that.”

   “You enjoy making things complicated, don’t’ you?”

   “Of course I do.” Grinning, he took a step back, “good night Lady Cassandra.”

   “Goodnight Inquisitor.”

  


End file.
